Remembering Strangers
by Ever Autumn13
Summary: T for language. "There, problem solved Allison. I'll see you soon and give you updates." Leonard told Allison as he left the apartment.


It all started with a memory of someone she never met.

Millie could remember the day so clearly, the Sunday morning that her mother's "_friend_" came to their house with that damn letter.

Millie

* * *

><p>knew when she heard the doorbell ring to go to the hall way just outside the freshly painted grey kitchen.<p>

Her mother never really liked Millie's enthusiasm for getting into her personal affairs. Millie had six years of experience telling her not to go into the living room when company was over unless her mother told her to.

Her mother answered the door and was surprised by who it was. Millie could hear quiet greetings and pleasantries being exchanged between her mother and, who she recognized by his voice, Dr. Leonard L. Church; the Director of Project Freelancer.

"Allison, I think you need to get Millie in here. I need to tell you something and it would be best if she heard it too." His southern drawl resonating through the small two bedroom apartment.

"Leonard you know damn well her name isn't Millie. _I_ named her Autumn and _that_ is her name. Why don't you tell me first? Then we'll see if she _needs_ to hear it" her mother replied in a slightly irritated tone.

Autumn was Millie's first name, but the only one who called her that was Allison.

_Why would Leo think it would best for us both to hear this information at the same time? Doesn't he remember her temper?_

Millie's thoughts were racing a mile a minute. Allison knew her daughter could already hear her, and _apparently_ the Director knew too.

"Millie come out from the hallway won't you? You're already listening, so you may as well be in the room" he raised his voice just enough for Millie to hear.

Just as she was told to Millie moved away from her previous spot, through the kitchen, and stopped in the door way almost as if she was afraid to continue any further.

"Are you sure I need to hear this with my mother?" Millie gave Leo a look that said quite plainly that she knew just how well her mother took news, and would prefer to stay in her room and here the news later.

"Are you sure about that? You might want to hear this with your mother" Leo asked, making sure she'd understood him.

"I'm sure" She responded firmly quickly when she saw Allison's gaze intensify. "I'll be in my room when you need me."

As soon as Leonard saw Millie's door close he began to explain what had happened.

* * *

><p>"Ally, I need to tell you that my reason for visiting is not very good."<p>

"Oh _please_ stop _over playing_ it, just tell me what the _hell_ you're for then _get out_. As you saw I have the kid now so we can't do anything right now. Why not come back later." She replied with a smirk.

"Allison this is serious. I'm trying to tell you about Grif!" she knew Leonard wasn't kidding around when he mentioned Dexter Grif.

"Is that good for nothing _finally_ coming back to take _his brat?_" She asked in an almost bored sounded voice. But the Director knew she was listening very closely.

"He _isn't_ coming back." Leonard said harshly.

He couldn't stand hearing Allison talk that way about Millie. She may not have been his daughter but he loved her like she was. Leonard knew Allison had never wanted a kid. When she got pregnant, Grif was able to stay around long enough to make sure she didn't abort it.

Four months after they found out Allison was pregnant, Grif proposed hoping to help with Allison and the new baby. She accepted and they eloped. 2 months after, Grif was drafted into the army and sent out to space leaving a very angry six month pregnant Allison to take care of Autumn Millie Grif.

Leonard shoved the envelope violently in his hands towards the now fuming Allison.

"He _can't_ come back. I'm sorry Allison, Grif died in battle."

Allison snatched the letter out of his hand unable to believe what she just heard. As she read Leonard could see her becoming angrier and angrier. He wondered if he should dive for cover under the table.

"THAT GOOD FOR NOTHING _PRICK_!" Allison screamed, at the top of her lungs, trembling and the letter was in danger of becoming torn.

Leonard was appalled.

He knew that Allison was upset about Grif leaving to go to war. Leaving her to give birth and take care of a child she _didn't_ want, taking away her dream of going to war to prove to herself and her family (and to Leonard himself) that she was able to do something right all because she couldn't stop the child that was now residing in her bedroom down the hallway.

He realised just how much distain she felt towards Grif.

"He took everything from me; my life, my dreams, my future, _all gone because of him_ _and his spawn_!" She shrieked, the letter now screwed up tightly into a ball in her hand.

"Allison that is _enough_! Think about what you're _saying_, and who could _hear_ it. The walls are thin and you don't want Millie to hear." Leonard harshly whispered. "It doesn't matter what you think about Grif but leave her out of it."

"_Why should I_?" Alison replied, now bothering to keep her volume down and turned her head deliberately towards her daughter's bedroom. "_Maybe_ _she should _hear me. She could know that it's _her_ fault that I'm in this hell hole instead of protecting everyone. In fact I think she should know what happened to her father, and what is going to happen to her now that I won't have him to worry about _anymore_."

"What the _fuck_ does that mean?" Leonard roared, trying to not keep himself too angry to scare Mille. "You're just going to leave her, drop her off somewhere and never look back? Allison _when_ did you become this person!"

She cut him off "I was _always_ this way. You just didn't pay close enough attention." She spat unkindly and Leonard felt a part of him inside break.

He started to argue with her. "That's _not true_ and you know it. Sure, you were always a bitch, but at least back then you were _sane_! How about I fix your problem for you?" he said harshly.

He walked away towards Millie's room, leaving the fuming Allison standing there looking at the letter that told her she was now free.

* * *

><p>Millie was sitting in her room trying not to cry and seemed to not pick up that the two adults had stopped yelling until she heard footsteps. She'd heard everything her mother had shouted, ranted and bellowed.<p>

She didn't care about the abandonment or the lack of love Allison gave her. Millie was upset about what her mother said about her father. Though she didn't know him, Millie had heard stories from Leonard about him.

Just as she was trying to imagine what he'd look and act like from Leo's stories, she was interrupted.

She heard the door open and a very conflicted looking Leonard walked in. Millie had her back to the door trying to keep her small body still and not shake.

"I-I heard what she said." Millie blurted out before he'd finished walking into the room.

"Well what do you want to do?" He asked simply. She turned around with a quizzical look on her face.

"What do you mean? What else can I do? I'll just wait for her to do something with me!" she fretted.

"Do you _really_ want to go to some random orphanage with some strangers?" he clarified.

Millie just looked down, tears on the brink of falling. But Leonard knew her answer, a solid resounding NO.

"Pack your things you're coming with me."

Leonard just left the room while Millie rushed to pack only what she needed. She wanted to get out of the house as soon as possible. She walked out of her room and out the door without bidding farewell to her mother. She walked past her and refused to meet her eyes. She heard a muttered "_At last_!" but ignored her.

"There, problem solved Allison. I'll see you soon and give you updates." Leonard told Allison as he left the apartment.

* * *

><p>Millie sat alone, handcuffed to a chair, in a white room.<p>

The quiet isolated space they put her in left her to the mercy of her memories.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of the door being unlocked. Millie was just about to find out just what the hell she did to get herself detained.


End file.
